He remembered that Chile will be the honour guest country and indicated that the number of copies sold at La Cabaña, the Pabellón Cuba and the bookstores in Havana, are already exceeding the one million two hundred thousands books, with an attendance of over half a million people.

During the awarding ceremony of the best Stands at this popular party of literature and arts, it was known that the Junta de Galicia deserved the award among the foreign exhibitors, for their exquisiteness and design in showing truly a mosaic of their culture and idiosyncrasy.

Among the national stands it was known that the First Place was won by the Tablas-Alarcos Publishing House and the second by Boloña, while Ediciones Unión, Casa Editorial Abril and Nuevo Milenio deserved mentions.

A peculiarity that will distinguish the 2009 International Fair is that, that year celebrates the fifty anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Therefore it will be paid tribute to the Casa de las Américas, one of the first institutions created after the triumph opf the revolution in January 1959, together with its prize Casa.

Luis Bará, general director of Creation and Cultural Diffusion of the Culture and Sport Department of the Galician Government, thanked the welcome given by the Cuban people and authorities to the Galician delegation.

He emphasized that nowhere in the world he felt such a warmth and friendliness as in the biggest island of the Caribbean. He added that this will not be a quick visit and that he wishes to built, together with the Cuban people a more just and human world.

Bará recognised the spirit of the historic links between Galicia and Cuban in the Galician writer Xosé Neira Vilas and the Cuban Anisia Miranda.

From next Monday and until the 9th of March, the Fair will move to 41 cities all over the national geography.

(AIN)